EXIVIOUS

Hugely overlooked, even by die-hard fans of the prog-metal genre, Exivious is a tech metal band that obviously are influenced by Cynic (one of the legendary tech prog-metal bands of the early 90's) with same sound and heavy use of computerised vocals in addition to the music. So far, this Dutch progressive metal band have only released this short EP, which is fairly good but not really enough to showcase the bands real song writing talents but still manage to serve the listener two fine songs that both are very enjoyable. As said, these guys have learned a lot from Cynic both in overall style and performance, only that this one is heavier but still progressive and interesting. But as Easy Livin said before me, the music isn't very original except for the complex song structures, and overall it should have been more dynamic. Metal fans that are into this style of prog-metal should dig this though!

The musicianship is very good and tight, and the production is fairly good as well. The computerised vocals might not appeal to everyone (though there are growls here too, so don't worry too much) but I think it adds a nice effect on the music, even if it might appear weird or even cheesy. If you are interested, but can't find it anywhere, don't worry. This EP is available for legal download from their website. Cynic fans should like this, as well as fans of harder prog-metal with a technical twist. Good stuff!